Chapter 303 - Giving Something In Return.
Beautiful as Lucile, Hal was not willing to let his guard down around her and so while he smiled as he walked behind, her, he was also amassing all of his trump cards to survive an attack from her should it come.
He was quite ready to attempt another use of {Network of Souls} which although more powerful now that it would harness all the soul power of everyone in Sapphire city, there was no guarantee that it would be enough.
That said, it would be well worth should the situation call for it.
But he was getting ahead of himself and there was the very likely possibility that Lucile was inviting him inside his room to get some alone time with him.
Narcissistic as that seemed, it was quite likely.
The walk was anything but short but eventually, they arrived and she led him inside before turning to him with narrowed eyes,
"Sit" she said and Hal decided not to argue.
He sat at the edge of her bed and smiled up at her just as she pulled the chair in front of a make-up mirror to sit right in front of him and lean forward in such a way that Hal was treated to a nice view of her cleavage.
This time, it was undoubtedly intentional.
And Hal did not show any shame or sense of propriety as he stared unabashedly at the deep valley between the two mountains that was her bosom.
"Hey, my eyes are up here" she said and snapped her fingers at him.
"Yes, I know that, but the view here is so much better" Hal said.
Lucile shook her head with a light smile,
"Do those lines actually work on anyone?" She asked.
Hal sighed,
"I wouldn't know since you are the first I've ever tried them with. And also, it was not a line." Hal said and looked up into her feline amber eyes.
"Beautiful as your eyes are, I prefer to stare a bit further down. I'm only trying to be honest." Hal said.
Lucile's lips twitched as she leaned closer to him until their faces were barely inches apart,
"There is something about you"
"Something undeniably irresistible?" Hal asked with a would-be humble expression.
Lucile shook her head,
"No, something dangerous. I first felt it during that duel you had with Master Fenrir. From that thin energy thread, you attacked him with.
Something in that attack raised a flag in my mind"
If she had really sensed something dangerous from his thin Devil strand attack, the Hal commended her ability to remain almost completely normal afterward.
She gave no indication that she had sensed anything.
However, if Hal was worried, it did not show in his expression as he continued to smile up at her,
"Really, do I scare you?" He asked and there was a hint of teasing in his voice.
Lucile could tell it was an attempt for him to make the whole situation trivial and she was not having that as she returned his smile,
"No, you don't. When you attacked Fenrir, I sensed your cultivation, and at the Cosmic phenomenon realm, dangerous or not, you do not pose a threat to me.
However, I am now more convinced than ever before that you are not here for the auction.
Or more accurately, you are not here to participate.
More importantly, I am now convinced it involves the mutating technique"
She said with her hand trailing the front of his robes.
Hal's lips twitched,
"Why do you seem so involved? Could it be that you are the supplier? Of the mutating technique, I mean"
Lucile shook her head,
"I have no interest in that technique whatsoever and believe it or not, I don't care either way, I came here only to find an investor" as she said it her hand went to her neck, and ale rubbed it lightly.
The look on her face told Hal she was feeling an ache right there and he smiled as he might have finally found a way to touch Lucile without the risk of having his arm ripped out or cut off.
"An investor, huh? Tell me what your investment is... No wait, you don't have to tell me. Just let me know the amount of wealth you need" Hal said.
Lucile paused with one hand still on her neck before she burst into boisterous laughter,
"Hahaha, I doubt you have the resources to help me and even if you did, why would I want your help" she said and covered her mouth with the hand that had been on her neck while she placed the other on Hal's chest.
Hal smiled because he knew she was most likely right. His funds were far from being sufficient enough to help her from whatever predicament she was in that caused her search for an investor.
After all, he was only really rich in gold.
And the less than two hundred thousand blue gems he got from Glenn were far from being enough either.
"You are right. I am nearly destitute and that was my desperate attempt to impress you. I'm guessing it did not work" Hal said.
Lucile shook her head,
"No, it did not." She said with a smile.
"I managed to amuse though, I take that as a win"
Following his words was a short moment of silence in which Lucile simply watched him and then took a deep breath and lowered her voice to a bare minimum,
"You are getting mixed in something you should not be mixed with. I suspect this is not your first time seeing such a mutation. I caught that much from your expression while watching the demonstration.
If you are on some kind of a mission for revenge for someone who met their end by means of this sort of circumstance, I advise you to let it go." She said.
Hal was a little surprised to see where her findings and discoveries got her but he decided to neither deny nor concur to her statement.
Instead, he grinned,
"You sound like you are worried about me. I was under the impression that you disliked me. It seemed I was thoroughly wrong." He said.
Lucile shook her head and her hand returned to the neck which she rubbed slowly,
"I not worried about you and frankly, I could not care less if you live or die. However, I saw it fit to play nice and advise you. Whether you heed it or not really does not concern me.
When the day breaks and the auction eventually begins, we will be complete strangers again." She told him and there was a coldness in her tone and expression as she said it.
Hal shrugged,
"Fine, but you gave me advice and it would be wrong for me to leave without giving something in return."
"Oh, and what would that be?" Lucile asked with skepticism which was most likely born from Hal not having anything that could remotely interest her.
"I would like to relieve you of the ache you are feeling." He said and he eyed her hand on her neck.
"I want to give you a massage"
"Is this a joke?" She asked.
Hal shook his head,
"Of course not. I am dead serious and I hope you at least allow me to give you this gift. It is, after all, all I can offer."
Lucile was quiet for a while while she rubbed her neck to ease the ache that had never left since she started worrying about getting an investor.
"If you try anything, you will regret it" she said and stood up from the chair to sit on the bed beside him.
"I won't. You have my word" Hal said.
"My clothes stay on" she said.
"Why would you even think of taking them off?" Hal asked in a teasing tone that caused Lucile to glare at him before she said,
"Well, get to it. Let's see what you can do"